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The Arrow of Heaven: A Millionaire's Fortress Cannot Keep Death Out | Father Brown · Father Brown | G. K. Chesterton Detective Stories

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: For the Father Brown stories by G.K.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Chesterton.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: We present The Arrow of Heaven, adapted by John Scottney
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: with Andrew Sachs as Father Brown.
• 0:22
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 0:24
  Speaker 4: The items on this list are all items prohibited from
• 0:26
  Speaker 4: being imported into the United States of America.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: You got any of these? Oh, may I see?
• 0:31
  Speaker 5: Um, no.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: No. Oh, good heavens, no. No. Good. Anything to declare? No,
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: I don't think so.
• 0:40
  Speaker 6: Oh, thank you.
• 0:43
  Speaker 7: I hope you've got your umbrella.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Your famous umbrella? My umbrella? I didn't think I had
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: to declare it. Just a little wisecrack.
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: A joke, Father Brown? A joke?
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Oh, you know my name. I've never been here before.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: I know your name.
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: Father Brown.
• 1:02
  Speaker 8: Well, I reckon just about everyone in little old New.
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: York's heard of your exploits.
• 1:07
  Speaker 5: Really?
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: Father Brown.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Yes?
• 1:10
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: On behalf of the Fraternity of New York Customs Officers,
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: I'd like to welcome you to the United States of America. Oh, boys!
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: I can tell you Father Brown's clean.
• 1:24
  Speaker 5: And I'm sure he'll be happy to answer your questions.
• 1:27
  Speaker 5: Hoffman and the New York Bugle. Hey, Father Brown, how
• 1:30
  Speaker 5: do you explain the recent crime wave in New York City?
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: Is there going to be a war, sir, between the
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: German Kaiser and the British Empire this year, next year?
• 1:38
  Speaker 8: What, in your opinion, sir, will the American woman be
• 1:40
  Speaker 8: wearing in 1940?
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: Come on now, boys, come on.
• 1:44
  Speaker 8: Give Father Brown a break.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: Colonel Craig, thank heavens.
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: I've seen my nephew.
• 1:48
  Speaker 5: He's bringing up the automobile outside, Father Brown.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Father Brown, are you staying at Brandon Merton's castle?
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, he is, boys.
• 1:55
  Speaker 5: Colonel Craig, have you got any information on the latest
• 1:57
  Speaker 5: measures Mr.
• 1:58
  Speaker 7: Merton's taking to catch Daniel Doole?
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: Will you tell me?
• 2:01
  Speaker 5: I've been away in Europe the last couple of months.
• 2:03
  Speaker 8: Can you tell us where he keeps the Coptic cup?
• 2:05
  Speaker 5: No comment, boys, no comment.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Now, who do you think that will do a bit,
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Father Brown? Daniel?
• 2:10
  Speaker 5: Now, gentlemen, gentlemen, please, we're only just off the boat.
• 2:13
  Speaker 5: Father Brown is tired, and no doubt we ask him
• 2:15
  Speaker 5: to press paper later.
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: Come on now, thank you all. Thank you.
• 2:18
  Speaker 5: Let's wait, Father Brown.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: Excuse us, boys.
• 2:24
  Speaker 5: Over here, Uncle Hickory, over here.
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: Hi there, son.
• 2:27
  Speaker 4: So, you got him away from the newsmen all right.
• 2:29
  Speaker 5: Those boys, I tell you, I'd rather face an Apache
• 2:31
  Speaker 5: war party any day. This is my nephew, Father Brown.
• 2:34
  Speaker 5: Father Brown, Captain Wayne.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: Oh, how do you do, Captain?
• 2:37
  Speaker 8: It's an honor to meet you, sir.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: Oh, I hardly see you today.
• 2:40
  Speaker 4: Uncle Hickory says you're rooming with us for a couple
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: of days at old Brander's Castle, sir.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Yes, indeed. Yes, your uncle and I met on shipboard,
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: and as I had some time to spare before my conference,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: he kindly invited me to stay with him at Mr. Merton's.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: But what is this about a castle? I didn't know
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: there were any castles in America.
• 2:58
  Speaker 5: Oh, this was shipped stone by stone from Scotland. My
• 3:01
  Speaker 5: old partner, Brander, he has to be mighty careful about
• 3:05
  Speaker 5: his safety, and that old heap seemed pretty well the
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: most secure building he could find. You wait till you
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: see it. Well, now, we'll stop a minute or two
• 3:20
  Speaker 5: here at Mason's Hollow.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, last night. I thought we were never going to stop. Well,
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: we've hardly come any distance.
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: Mason's Hollow is only 50 miles from Manhattan itself.
• 3:30
  Speaker 5: Father Brown, my nephew's an aviator. His ideas and destinies
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: are based on flight. He considers it soon that machines
• 3:38
  Speaker 5: will be as common in the United States as automobiles
• 3:40
  Speaker 5: are now. Oh, really?
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: That is fascinating. Excuse me asking, Captain Wade, but why
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: do you call.
• 3:47
  Speaker 6: Your uncle Hickory?
• 3:48
  Speaker 5: Ah, that was a nickname I picked up in the
• 3:51
  Speaker 5: old days.
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: My uncle's kind of a modest man, Father Brown, but
• 3:55
  Speaker 4: I can tell you Hickory Crake was one of the
• 3:57
  Speaker 4: most famous Indian scouts in the old frontier days. He's
• 4:01
  Speaker 4: something of a living legend. That was before he quit
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: to start trading with old Merton.
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: Mine have to exaggerate, Father Brown. Mind you, it's true
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: I did have quite a lot to do with the engines.
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: In fact, in the end, that's why I resigned from
• 4:12
  Speaker 5: I got to like the Indians a whole lot better
• 4:14
  Speaker 5: than the guys who were destroying their way of life
• 4:17
  Speaker 5: in the name of progress.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes, well, I can understand your point of view, Colonel.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: And there was something else I wanted to ask you,
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: if you don't mind.
• 4:25
  Speaker 5: Fire away.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: What is all this business about Daniel Doom and the
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Coptic Cup? Is that a horse race?
• 4:33
  Speaker 5: No, sir, it's not. No, sirree. The Coptic Cup is
• 4:36
  Speaker 5: a sort of chalice, I suppose you'd call it, set
• 4:39
  Speaker 5: with uncut precious stones of various kinds. It goes back
• 4:42
  Speaker 5: certainly before the time of Mohammed.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: It's led to the death of two millionaires who owned it.
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: And Mr. Merton is the third owner. Is that why
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: he fears for his safety?
• 4:52
  Speaker 5: Well, that's one reason. Though anyone in his possession has
• 4:55
  Speaker 5: to be careful.
• 4:56
  Speaker 4: If you ask me, it's the main reason. The first
• 4:59
  Speaker 4: victim was Titus P. Tramp, the Copper King. Seems it
• 5:02
  Speaker 4: was sort of an heirloom in his family. He got
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: these threatening letters from someone calling himself Daniel Boone.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Then one day he was found with his head in
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: his own lily pond.
• 5:11
  Speaker 5: Goodness me.
• 5:12
  Speaker 4: The cup, it was in a bank vault, went with
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: the rest of the property to a cousin of his
• 5:16
  Speaker 4: called Brian Hoard.
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: Nice.
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  Speaker 2: Goodness, and he too got letters signed, Daniel Doom?
• 5:21
  Speaker 5: He sure did.
• 5:22
  Speaker 4: One day he was found lying at the foot of
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: a cliff outside his seaside residence, buried dead.
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: Oh, man.
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: But the strange thing was the intruder, Daniel Doom, or
• 5:31
  Speaker 4: whoever he was, went out of his way to destroy
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: an enormous number of papers, set fire to them, stocks, bonds,
• 5:37
  Speaker 4: that kind of stuff. It left Horde's affairs in a
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  Speaker 4: hell of a mess.
• 5:40
  Speaker 5: Horde's wedder had to sell the cup to sort out
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: her financial problems.
• 5:44
  Speaker 6: I see, and Mr.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: Merton bought it, yes. Has he also had threatening letters?
• 5:51
  Speaker 5: I imagine he has. Well, I'm pretty sure of it.
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: Brander keeps his self to himself these days. No one
• 5:56
  Speaker 5: but his secretary sees his letters. But I've seen him
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: real upset and annoyed with letters. Letters he tore up
• 6:02
  Speaker 5: before the secretary saw them.
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: Hey, let's get out of here. See who's coming out
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: of that drugstore?
• 6:06
  Speaker 5: That's that son of a bitch, Grady.
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: Too late.
• 6:10
  Speaker 5: He's seen us. Well, hi there, Colonel Craig, Captain Wayne. Hello.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: I'm real glad to see you two.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
• 6:17
  Speaker 5: I don't believe I've had the pleasure, sir. Father Brown?
• 6:21
  Speaker 5: Norman Drage. Hello.
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: How do you do? Will you give me a ride
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: up to the house, Captain Wayne?
• 6:27
  Speaker 5: It's one of my days for a business consultation with
• 6:30
  Speaker 5: good old Brander. All right, you'd better get in. Well,
• 6:41
  Speaker 5: here we are.
• 6:42
  Speaker 7: We have to stop here by the outer wall.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: Oh, happiness. Oh, dear, what a grim sight.
• 6:47
  Speaker 5: That's Brander's private secretary's idea, John Wendell. He got that
• 6:51
  Speaker 5: set up. It goes right round the grounds with just
• 6:54
  Speaker 5: that one locked door, and that's hammer-plated. The wall's capped
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  Speaker 5: with steel. You can run a powerful electric current right
• 7:00
  Speaker 5: through it.
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  Speaker 2: Good heavens. Yeah.
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: When you get to the castle itself, you have to
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  Speaker 5: enter by an enclosed elevator. Having second thoughts about staying
• 7:07
  Speaker 5: with Brander, Father Brander?
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: Oh, far from it, Mr.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: Dredge.
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  Speaker 2: It is my duty to visit prisoners and all miserable
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: men in captivity.
• 7:15
  Speaker 5: I know what you mean. Brad or me, we used
• 7:18
  Speaker 5: to take our wagons deep into the heart of renegade territory,
• 7:21
  Speaker 5: and he never worried. And now he's as scary as
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: a jackrabbit. And what's the use of all these fortifications?
• 7:27
  Speaker 5: You can't defend against the unexpected. Why, I remember once
• 7:31
  Speaker 5: at Fort Bowie. I was there with Brander, a solitary
• 7:33
  Speaker 5: Apache came up, one half-naked brave with just a little
• 7:37
  Speaker 5: knife under the barrels of 50 carbines, yet he killed
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  Speaker 5: a trooper right up on the parapet.
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  Speaker 2: What happened?
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  Speaker 5: He threw it, quick as a flash. He threw that
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  Speaker 5: darn knife. Oh, hey, they've spotted us. They're opening the gates.
• 7:50
  Speaker 5: Come on, let's get inside.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: It's very kind of you to have me as your guest, Mr.
• 7:57
  Speaker 8: Merton.
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  Speaker 5: Not at all.
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  Speaker 7: In fact, I'd be glad of your advice.
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  Speaker 9: Hickory tells me you've got a pretty sharp reputation with
• 8:04
  Speaker 9: regard to the.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: Criminal element, shall we say. Oh, hardly. I'm afraid not.
• 8:09
  Speaker 9: I'd be very glad if you'd join me for luncheon.
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  Speaker 9: And afterwards, I'd be grateful if you'd have a talk
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  Speaker 9: with me in private. When am I free this afternoon, John?
• 8:17
  Speaker 8: 3.30, sir, just after you finish.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: 3.30 it is, then.
• 8:21
  Speaker 9: Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some private business
• 8:23
  Speaker 9: to discuss with Drage here. You'd better come on through, Drage.
• 8:27
  Speaker 9: I assume you won't be staying to lunch.
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  Speaker 2: I know how much you'd like, Mr. Brander, but no,
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: I won't.
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  Speaker 8: Thank you.
• 8:33
  Speaker 9: I'll leave you with my secretary, Father Brown, while I
• 8:35
  Speaker 9: get this over with.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: Oh, thank you so much.
• 8:37
  Speaker 5: Come on, Drede.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: Excuse me, gentlemen. Yes, goodbye.
• 8:43
  Speaker 8: I'm very proud to have met you, sir. I've heard
• 8:45
  Speaker 8: a lot about your reputation.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: Oh, no, please don't mention my reputation, Mr.
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: Wendell.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: I feel as though I'm some sort of exhibit in
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: a museum. As you wish, sir.
• 8:54
  Speaker 8: Lunch is at one sharp.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 8:56
  Speaker 8: Merton likes his guests to be punctual for meals, I
• 8:58
  Speaker 8: should warn you.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 9:00
  Speaker 10: After lunch, he generally spends an hour or so with
• 9:02
  Speaker 10: his lawyer. Then I go through the afternoon's program with him.
• 9:05
  Speaker 10: After that, I leave him alone for 15 minutes.
• 9:09
  Speaker 8: He insists I do.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: That each day at 3.15. Oh, excuse me. Harris? Yes, sir?
• 9:15
  Speaker 8: Harris, Father Brown has an appointment with Mr. Merton at 3.30.
• 9:18
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 9:20
  Speaker 6: Harris is Mr.
• 9:21
  Speaker 8: Merton's private bodyguard.
• 9:23
  Speaker 10: He tries to make sure the boss is never left
• 9:26
  Speaker 10: alone with strangers.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Really?
• 9:28
  Speaker 7: Or alone at all, really.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: But you said he is alone at 3.15 each day?
• 9:34
  Speaker 8: Ah, yes, for a quarter of an hour out of
• 9:35
  Speaker 8: each 24 hours.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: That is all the real solitude he has. Oh. And
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: that he insists on, and for a very curious reason. Yes?
• 9:43
  Speaker 10: The Coptic cup is hidden somewhere in that room. None
• 9:47
  Speaker 10: of us knows where, but every.
• 9:49
  Speaker 8: Day he takes it out and.
• 9:52
  Speaker 8: Worships it, you might say.
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: Alone.
• 9:54
  Speaker 5: Oh, dear.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: Isn't that dangerous? Is there a window? I don't know
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: about this. things, but surely someone knowing his habits with
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: a rifle might.
• 10:03
  Speaker 10: Oh, no, there's no window, only a skylight, and that's
• 10:07
  Speaker 10: the only door with Harris on the other side.
• 10:09
  Speaker 8: You've seen the other precautions.
• 10:11
  Speaker 10: The doors are all kept locked, and here's the switch
• 10:13
  Speaker 10: to turn on the electrocuting.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: Current round the walls.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: Oh.
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: And, of course, we're all armed.
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: Oh, dear.
• 10:18
  Speaker 8: It's pretty unlikely Doom could get in, but if he did,
• 10:20
  Speaker 8: he'd never get out.
• 10:25
  Speaker 9: Well, did you enjoy your first taste of American cooking.
• 10:27
  Speaker 5: Father Brown?
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: It's quite delicious, Mr.
• 10:29
  Speaker 10: Merton.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: If you'd like.
• 10:31
  Speaker 9: To have some coffee, I'm sure John Wendell will be
• 10:34
  Speaker 9: pleased to join you.
• 10:35
  Speaker 5: Of course.
• 10:35
  Speaker 7: Thank you.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: Well, that's it, then. I'll see you both later. Oh, indeed.
• 10:39
  Speaker 5: Thank you.
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 10:42
  Speaker 8: Cream and sugar, Father Brown?
• 10:43
  Speaker 5: Oh, how kind.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: Yes, please.
• 10:45
  Speaker 5: Both. Yes.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: Um.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Mr. Wendell, I hope you don't mind me saying this,
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: but I was just thinking, these precautions you've taken.
• 10:56
  Speaker 5: Yes?
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: Well, aren't they a little excessive?
• 10:59
  Speaker 10: Mr.
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: Merton is, in effect, a prisoner in his own house. Maybe.
• 11:03
  Speaker 10: He does complain sometimes. But this Daniel Doom is a
• 11:08
  Speaker 10: kind of obsession with me. My full name is John
• 11:13
  Speaker 10: Wendell Hoard.
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: Hoard. Wasn't that the name of the second victim? He
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: was my father, yes.
• 11:21
  Speaker 10: Daniel Doom killed him and ruined my mother, as well
• 11:24
  Speaker 10: as murdering Titus Trant, who was a kind of uncle
• 11:26
  Speaker 10: to me.
• 11:28
  Speaker 8: When the family went bust, Mr. Merton took me on here.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes. I gather this Daniel Doom destroyed a number
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: of important papers at your father's house. Yes.
• 11:39
  Speaker 10: Seems like when he couldn't find the cup, in his rage,
• 11:41
  Speaker 10: he destroyed anything he could get his hands on.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: It was a crazy, senseless act. Perhaps.
• 11:48
  Speaker 5: Unless.
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: What? Well, unless it was a deliberate act of cunning.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: After all, with the destruction of the shares and so forth,
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: your mother presumably had to sell the car.
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: What?
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: Did you mean it? It was just a thought. Oh, dear.
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: That's been a tiring day. Um. Would it be possible
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: for me to have a doze in the guest suite
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: until my appointment?
• 12:15
  Speaker 8: Oh, of course.
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: Father Brown?
• 12:22
  Speaker 8: Father Brown?
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: Where am I?
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: Oh, yes.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: Yes, yes, of course. Yes, if you'll come this way.
• 12:32
  Speaker 8: Thank you. Harris, show Father Brown in, will you? Yes, sir.
• 12:38
  Speaker 6: This way, sir.
• 12:38
  Speaker 5: Thank you. It's Father Brown for you, Mr. Merck. Jump
• 12:46
  Speaker 5: in Jehoshaphat.
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: What's the matter? Oh, God have mercy.
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: What is it?
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: Father Brown, what is it?
• 12:53
  Speaker 7: What's the matter?
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: I fear you must press your switch, Mr.
• 12:55
  Speaker 8: Wendell. Has he been shot?
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: It depends what you mean by shot. He's got an
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: arrow in his neck, Mr.
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: Wendell. And the skylight's wide open.
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: Here, let me see.
• 13:03
  Speaker 5: So it is.
• 13:04
  Speaker 8: And the coptic cop.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Why isn't the cop here? What's happened to it? Aren't
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: you going to press your switch?
• 13:08
  Speaker 8: I sure am, and I'll set.
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: Off the alarm, too. Yes, indeed. Harris? Harris? Get on
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: to the roof. He may still be there.
• 13:14
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, Mr.
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: Wendell.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: Watch where you're going, huh? What the hell's happening, Wendell?
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid it's already happened.
• 13:20
  Speaker 7: Hey, Wendell, who is this little guy?
• 13:21
  Speaker 8: Father Brown, this is Blake Barnard, Mr.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Merton's lawyer. He's dead, Mr.
• 13:25
  Speaker 5: Barnard.
• 13:25
  Speaker 7: So Brander's dead, is he? Sorry, I can't sound more surprised.
• 13:29
  Speaker 7: I guess we all knew it was going to happen sometime.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: An arrow from heaven, you might say.
• 13:33
  Speaker 7: You might say that, Reverend.
• 13:34
  Speaker 5: I say let's check the roof.
• 13:36
  Speaker 8: Harris is up there right now.
• 13:37
  Speaker 10: Me, I'm going down to check the guard at the
• 13:38
  Speaker 10: bottom of the elevator.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Excuse me.
• 13:41
  Speaker 7: What's this arrow from heaven nonsense?
• 13:43
  Speaker 5: You really believe it's a miracle?
• 13:45
  Speaker 8: Oh, no, no, no.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: Miracles are never shrouded in mystery. They're really quite straightforward.
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: When I said an arrow from heaven, I was thinking
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: of aviation. Ah, here's Harris.
• 13:55
  Speaker 5: Well, if Daniel Doom was on the roof, he sure
• 13:57
  Speaker 5: ain't there now.
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: I'd best report back to Mr. Wendell. Where is he?
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: He's downstairs talking to the guards. Oh, Harris, when he's finished,
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: would you ask him to have a word with me?
• 14:05
  Speaker 5: Sure thing, Reverend.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: And, by the way, did Mr. Wendell leave this floor
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: at all while I was asleep?
• 14:10
  Speaker 10: No, sir.
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: No, he didn't.
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: He was here all the time.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: He was in his office when Mr.
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: Merton was with Mr. Barnard here.
• 14:17
  Speaker 5: Then he went to see Mr.
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: Merton himself. Yes.
• 14:19
  Speaker 5: Then when Mr. Merton was... Well, when I.
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: Guess he was killed, he was with me. Hey, you
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: don't suspect Mr.
• 14:24
  Speaker 5: Wendell, do you, sir?
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: I suspect everyone, Mr. Harris. If you'd ask him to
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: see me as soon as you can, please, as quickly
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: as you can. Yes, sir. Yes. Do you have an
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: address for Norman Dredge, Mr.
• 14:35
  Speaker 8: Barnard?
• 14:36
  Speaker 7: I do. He's in an apartment on the east side.
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: I'd like that address. And have you an automobile?
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: Right outside, with my chauffeur.
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: Perhaps you'd be good enough to drive me to the
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: flying field. I believe Captain Wayne and Colonel Crake are
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: both there at the moment. And then if you'd drive
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: to a station where I can get a train into
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: New York.
• 14:52
  Speaker 7: Father Brown, I'm getting to like you. You're a hustler.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: A hustler. Oh, really, a hustler. Ah, here's Mr.
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: Wendell.
• 14:59
  Speaker 8: You wanted to see me, Father Brown.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: Yes, Mr. Wendell. For reasons that I'm sure you understand,
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: you had to be the person I first suspected of
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: murdering your employer. I see. But the actual circumstances of
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: the murder seem to make that very unlikely. Have you
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: informed Colonel Crake and Captain Wayne of what has happened? No,
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: not yet.
• 15:16
  Speaker 8: I was just going to telephone the flying field.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: Yes, I'd rather you didn't.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: Mr.
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: Barnard has kindly agreed to take me to the flying
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: field in his motor car. I think it would be
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: best if, We broke the news to them.
• 15:32
  Speaker 5: Why, howdy there, Bernard.
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: Hi, Colonel.
• 15:35
  Speaker 5: And Father Brown. This is an unexpected pleasure.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: Well, I'm afraid Mr. Merton wasn't able to see me.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: And Mr. Barnard kindly drove me over. Is Captain Wayne about?
• 15:46
  Speaker 5: That's him up there now. He even took me up earlier.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: They have machines that... that carried two people then.
• 15:53
  Speaker 5: Sure do.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: Now, Mr. Barnard, Colonel Craig once saw an Indian kill
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: a man by throwing a knife.
• 15:59
  Speaker 7: Is that so?
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: But I should imagine the bow and arrow was a
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: more common weapon.
• 16:04
  Speaker 5: Well, it used to be. The old Sioux and Comanche
• 16:06
  Speaker 5: Braves could shoot an arrow straight as a bullet and
• 16:09
  Speaker 5: do it from the back of a pinto pony.
• 16:11
  Speaker 10: Yeah, but.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: Well, even on the moon, they could shoot an arrow accurately?
• 16:17
  Speaker 5: They sure could, as long as you're properly balanced and
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: brace yourself.
• 16:20
  Speaker 7: Sounds like you did it yourself, Hickory.
• 16:24
  Speaker 5: I had a go a few times, and I guess
• 16:25
  Speaker 5: I wasn't so bad, but that's all ancient history now. Hey, see,
• 16:30
  Speaker 5: here's my nephew landed.
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: Peter!
• 16:32
  Speaker 5: Uncle Hickory! We got visitors.
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: Father Brown, if I'd known you were coming, I'd have
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: given you more.
• 16:37
  Speaker 5: Of a show.
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: You seem to be doing pretty well, as it was. Oh, shucks,
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: that was nothing. These kites are amazing.
• 16:43
  Speaker 8: You wouldn't believe how maneuverable they are nowadays.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: Yes, tell me, would it be possible to get within, say,
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: a hundred yards of a tree or a building?
• 16:52
  Speaker 7: A hundred yards?
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: I could get you within 50 yards. Do you want
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: to come up for a demonstration? No, not just now,
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: thank you. In fact, I've come to make an apology.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid I won't be able to join you for
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: a meal this evening.
• 17:05
  Speaker 6: Instead, I'd be.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: Grateful if you would meet me at Mr. Merton's house
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: at 8.30pm.
• 17:12
  Speaker 5: Why, what is this?
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: What's the matter? Well, I'm afraid I'm... I'm very much
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: afraid Mr. Merton was killed.
• 17:19
  Speaker 5: What?
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: Yes, at about 3.25 today.
• 17:22
  Speaker 5: Good God.
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: A pearl. How did it happen?
• 17:26
  Speaker 7: By an arrow shot down through the skylight.
• 17:30
  Speaker 5: What the.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: Hey!
• 17:32
  Speaker 5: Now I get it. What the hell? Are you standing
• 17:35
  Speaker 5: up to tell us we murdered my old partner?
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: I don't understand.
• 17:39
  Speaker 5: This clever dick here was asking me all about shooting
• 17:41
  Speaker 5: arrows while you're on the move and all about flying
• 17:44
  Speaker 5: machines that can carry two people? So? Well, don't you see?
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: He thinks you flew me up over Brander's house and
• 17:50
  Speaker 5: then I shot the arrow down through the skylight.
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: I'm not accusing you of anything at the moment, but
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: I would be grateful if you'd join us this evening.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: Who's there?
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: Hello?
• 18:10
  Speaker 8: Who is it?
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: Mr. Dredge.
• 18:13
  Speaker 8: Who the hell are you?
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: Oh, it's you. Do you always greet your visitors with
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: a revolver, Mr. Dredge? Why do you want?
• 18:22
  Speaker 6: I just dropped.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: By to tell you that Brandon Merton has been murdered.
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: Has he? Well, let me tell you, he deserted a
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: hundred times over. Oh, well, why didn't you murder him then?
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: Why not, Mr.
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: Drage?
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: Hey, wait a minute.
• 18:41
  Speaker 8: You want to know why I didn't murder him?
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: You're a nice sort of clergyman.
• 18:46
  Speaker 5: Hey, if that's your way of saying I did, well,
• 18:49
  Speaker 5: prove it, that's all.
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: As for him, I reckon he.
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: Was no loss. Yes, he was. I would guess he
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: was a loss to you. That's why you didn't kill him.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: even though I'm pretty sure you do know the identity
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: of the so-called Daniel Doom. Why do you get that?
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: Would you perhaps agree with me that, in the circumstances,
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: all Mr. Merton's elaborate defenses were a trifle absurd as
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: protection against Daniel Doom? Daniel Doom? Let me tell you,
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: he didn't murder Brando Merton any more than you did.
• 19:18
  Speaker 5: You know?
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: I guess, Mr.
• 19:20
  Speaker 6: Dredge.
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: I shall be at a little meeting at Mr. Merton's
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: house at 8.30 this evening. At that meeting, I shall
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: voice certain suspicions about you.
• 19:29
  Speaker 6: These suspicions may.
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: Well be unfounded. If they are not, however, I suggest
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: you use the next few hours to good effect.
• 19:37
  Speaker 6: Do you understand? I.
• 19:38
  Speaker 7: Ah, dammit, yes, I do understand.
• 19:42
  Speaker 6: Good.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: Then you've confirmed what I've suspected.
• 19:46
  Speaker 6: Goodbye, Mr.
• 19:47
  Speaker 7: Dredge.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: I doubt if we shall meet again.
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: I don't like it at all. Come in.
• 19:58
  Speaker 5: Gentlemen, Father Brown.
• 20:00
  Speaker 7: Ah, good evening, Father Brown.
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: Good evening, Mr.
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: Barnard.
• 20:04
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: Harris, will you join us too, please? Yes, sir. Now...
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: Is everyone here?
• 20:11
  Speaker 7: No, no, I'm afraid Mr.
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: Drage and Mr.
• 20:14
  Speaker 7: Wendell are missing.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: Ah, not to worry. I saw Mr. Drage and telephoned Mr.
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: Wendell from New York. I told him he needn't attend.
• 20:21
  Speaker 5: Father Brown, what is this fiasco?
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: I'm perfectly aware you believe Peter and I killed Brander.
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: Oh, I assure you I don't.
• 20:30
  Speaker 8: Why, you practically told us.
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: No, no, Captain Wayne, you told me. I felt it
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: extremely unlikely that you went careering over the castle.
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: in a huge, noisy machine.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: While an elderly gentleman leaned out at a perilous angle
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: and unerringly shot a red Indian arrow through a skylight.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: But I had to suspect everyone, and you had to
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: prove your innocence.
• 20:52
  Speaker 7: And how the hell did they do that?
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: You were there, Mr. Barnard. Do you recall how, until
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: they actually knew of the crime, they virtually fell over
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: each other in explaining to us how they could have
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: committed it? Yeah. Until they realized what they were accused of. Now,
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: a guilty person would never have behaved like that. Besides,
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: how did they steal the Coptic cup? Did they yank
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: it up on a fishing line?
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: But the Coptic cup is missing.
• 21:18
  Speaker 5: In a sense.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: But I suspect it still lies hidden in whatever secret
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: place Brandon Merton concealed it. I don't believe he ever
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: took the cup out today.
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: Then who did kill Brandon? Wait, it wasn't Norman Drage?
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: Yes, you're right. It wasn't Norman Drage. Now, Drage is
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: a criminal. But he didn't commit this crime. He was
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: blackmailing Mr.
• 21:42
  Speaker 5: Merton.
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: Blackmailing me?
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: His were the letters you saw Merton tearing up, Colonel. Well,
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: he wasn't likely to kill the goose that laid the
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: golden eggs.
• 21:50
  Speaker 3: So?
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: Who did it?
• 21:53
  Speaker 5: Well, Mr.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: Barnard... You were out of the room when the murder occurred.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: You had plenty of time to go up to the
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: roof and come down. And from what you told me
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: of the nature of Mr. Merton's business affairs, I've no
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: doubt that as his confidential advisor, you could find a
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: way to benefit from his death.
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: This is outrageous.
• 22:10
  Speaker 5: No, no.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: You were my principal suspect. But then, on the train,
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: I remembered Mr. Craig's story about the Indian throwing the knife.
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: And I realized I'd been a fool. Surely, if a
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: knife can be used as a missile, then a missile,
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: such as an arrow, could also be used as a knife.
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: Sure.
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: Brandon Merton was stabbed to death with an arrow pushed
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: into his neck like a poignard. But I'm told he
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: kept some arrows in his office as souvenirs of his
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: days on the frontier.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: He did. He sure did. Why didn't I think?
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: Because, Mr. Craig, if an Indian has a knife, you
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: naturally expect him to stab with it If a man
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: has an arrow in his neck, you expect it to
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: have come from a bow. Especially if the murderer has
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: the presence of mind to open a skylight and place
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: the body beneath it. But, gentlemen, before I go on,
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: I must tell you the substance of John Wendell's telephone
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: conversation with me. He has given me permission to tell you.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: He has gone off to be alone with his conscience.
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry to tell you that John Wendell caught up
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: with Daniel Doom and killed him.
• 23:28
  Speaker 5: John Wendell. Well, I'll be.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: Good old Wendell.
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: If he croaked Doom, he did a good day's work.
• 23:34
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: Wayne, did not Daniel Doom deserve a fair trial?
• 23:38
  Speaker 5: You can't blame a man for downing a crook like that,
• 23:40
  Speaker 5: Father Brown.
• 23:41
  Speaker 3: Of course not. No, you can't. Say, how did he
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: get him?
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: Oh, he stabbed him with an arrow. John Wendell Hoard,
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: for that was his full name, was, he admitted to me,
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: obsessed with catching his father's murderer. Now, Dredge somehow discovered
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: that Brander Merton was Daniel Doom and blackmailed him. And
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: when John Wendell realized who Doom actually was, partly, I fear,
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: through some hints I dropped, well, he confronted Merton with it.
• 24:12
  Speaker 2: There was a struggle, and he seized the first weapon
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: that came to hand.
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: Brander was actually Doom himself?
• 24:18
  Speaker 7: I don't believe it.
• 24:20
  Speaker 5: Craig, do you believe it?
• 24:21
  Speaker 3: Yes, I do.
• 24:22
  Speaker 5: What? I've known Brander 40 years, and when he wanted something,
• 24:26
  Speaker 5: nothing would stop him getting it, and he sure wanted
• 24:29
  Speaker 5: that cup.
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: Now, he's done some dirty things in his time. Get that, Harris?
• 24:34
  Speaker 3: See who's calling? Yes, Mr.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: Craig.
• 24:38
  Speaker 3: Mr. Merton's residence. It's for you, Father Brown.
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: Oh, thank you, thank you.
• 24:47
  Speaker 6: Hello, yes?
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 24:52
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: Oh, dear me.
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 24:56
  Speaker 6: Thank you.
• 24:58
  Speaker 8: Thank you.
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 25:03
  Speaker 6: I feel I'm terribly to blame. I... I deeply, deeply
• 25:09
  Speaker 6: regret to tell you Mr. Wendell has taken his own life.
• 25:14
  Speaker 6: God have mercy on his soul. And on mine.
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: Well, I hate to say it, but I reckon that's
• 25:25
  Speaker 3: a relief.
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: What in God's name do you mean?
• 25:28
  Speaker 5: That means that now we can hush the whole thing up,
• 25:31
  Speaker 5: Father Brown.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: Well, I, for one, am ready to tell the truth
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: to the proper authorities. Oh, no, no.
• 25:37
  Speaker 7: We couldn't have a thing like this getting out.
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: Surely not.
• 25:40
  Speaker 7: White Brander Merton was a thing like the President of
• 25:42
  Speaker 7: the United States.
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: He was a.
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: He was Daniel Doom, a mad murderer for whom you
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: had no pity, whom you thought was rightly slaughtered without trial.
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: Very well, then. If Daniel Doom has got his desserts,
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: Brandon Merton has got his desserts. If that was good
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: enough for Doom, by all that is holy, it is
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: good enough for Merton. Take your wild justice or our
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: dull legality, but in the name of almighty God, let
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: there be an equal lawlessness or an equal law.
• 26:08
  Speaker 6: I ask poor Wendell to examine his conscience.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: I feel I must examine mine.
• 26:14
  Speaker 6: I ask you, gentlemen, to do the same.
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: In The Arrow of Heaven by G.K.
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Chesterton, the part of Father Brown was played by Andrew Sachs,
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: Barnard by Ed Bishop, Harris by Guy Gregory, Wendell by
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: Andrew Branch, Norman Drage by Sean Prendergast, Branda Merton by
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: Richard Durden, and Peter Wayne by Johnny Myers, Matt Crake
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: by Harry Taub, and the customs officer by Tim Reynolds.
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: The Arrow of Heaven.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: was adapted by John Scottney, and the director from Bristol
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: was Alec Reid.